Oktoberfest in August

Last week I expressed surprise that the Oktoberfest in MainStrasse would occur in September. The first weekend in September, as I subsequently discovered. Now, however, I have already been to an Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, and we are not yet in September.

The Germania Society kicked off the Oktoberfest season this weekend, the fourth in August. I have learned that this is "The Original Cincinnati Oktoberfest." I believe it, because this year is the 44th festival. The Germania Society itself was founded in 1964 and is celebrating its 50th year this year. (I find it interesting that the Scandinavian Society of Cincinnati is also celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014.) The Germania Society maintains  a large park and clubhouse northeast of the heart of Cincinnati, and that placed the festival just 15 or 20 minutes due west of our house. (A new acquaintance and I joked this week that "you can get almost anywhere in Cincinnati in 20 minutes or so." I have yet to see that time estimate disproved.)

It was a huge Oktoberfest. Even before we approached Germania Park we saw signs for off-site parking, with big yellow school buses transporting people to the venue. We didn't turn in time, though, and continued to the park. Fortunately, they still had on-site parking, and eight or ten volunteers guided us through a maze of pathways to the next available meadow parking area. It was right next to the giant inflatable cat playhouse for the children, we noted so that we would not forget where we had parked when we were leaving. We passed by other kiddie amusements, and a grown-up rat race game tent,  as we made our way over the meadow and by several food and drink stands.

We walked around to get an overview of what was available, but we were drawn to the covered pavilion, which provided some shade, folding chairs at long tables, and loud German music (interspersed occasionally with other popular favorites) by the music group AutoBahn. We had fortified ourselves with bratwurst, bierwurst, and a beer before we found our seats. My bierwurst was topped with the best sauerkraut I have ever eaten.


After music and dancing (the hokey-pokey, among others) we walked again through a beautifully shaded picnic area and also through a shop selling gorgeous authentic German dirndl dresses. Then we were told that they were serving sauerbraten in the Klubhaus--and it was air-conditioned. We found that, but were far too full to partake of sauerbraten or even a German pretzel.


Unfortunately, the characteristic Cincinnati heat and humidity finally showed itself yesterday. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is only 32 or 33 Celsius, but the humidity was high enough so that little droplets of water were raining down on us.

We only stayed a few hours at the Germania Society Oktoberfest, but I imagine that next year we will plan our day(s) better and take in more of the three-day program of music, dance, a parade, and food. And I suspect that it will not be the last Oktoberfest we attend this year.